Hair-retaining device



.June

Filed Dec. 1925 ATTORNEY Patented June 1, 1925.

assasae smear errata.

KENNETH L. HEATH, OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON.

HAIR-RETAINING DEVICE.

Application filed December 14., 1925.

This invention relates to an improved derice for retaining in properlyadjusted position small bunches or strands or locks of ladies hair andmore particularly hair that is fairly short or bobbed after theprevailing fashion. The device is of that type that is formed from anarrow strip or band of resilient material so bent uponitself as to forman elongated loop, between the opposite bars of which that portion ofthe wearers hair that is to be held is placed, the clasping of such hairbeing effected by forcing the end portionof one of'said bars into aposition to allow of its engagement beneath a turned or hook-shaped endof the other bar. Where such engagement of the two ends is effected bygiving to the bars a lateral relative movement so as to carry the endthat is-to engage under the hook-shaped part to one side and'then backunder that hook there is very apt to be an objectionable disturbance ofthe hair, and where a plurality of the devices are used on differentportions of the head, as will generally be the case, the combined resultof these disturbed areas will be a head of hair lacking that finishedand dressy appearance so much desired. To obviate this objection it hasbeen proposed to force the straight. end of one bar past the other orhook end without any lateral motion of either bar, and while it isfeasible to snap the bars into locking engagement in that manner yetthere is the liability, as indeed there is in the first-mentionedconstruction also, that while the device is in use there may occur arelative lateral slipping of the two bars sutficient to allow the endsto become disengaged so that the hair held by the device becomesloosened and the device itself drops off and is lost.

To overcomethese objections is the leading object of the presentinvention. Briefly stated I accomplish it by providing the faces of theend portions that are in contact, when the device is in use, with meansfor interlocking one with the other, line enabling one bar to be snappedpast the ii ed end of the other, as is the desirable method whensecuring hair plate,

Serial No. 75,373.

and thereafter when the pressure of the Operatofs fingers is releasedpermitting the two end portions to be automatically so interengaged asto prevent them from becoming accidentally separated. I accomplish asthis object by means of the construction shown in the drawing and moreparticular- 1y described hereinafter. That which I believe to be newwill be set forth in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device in opened position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of thedevice in its closed position.

Fig. 8 is a detail showing the inner notched face of the hook-shaped endof one of the bars; and

Fig. at is a detail showing the outer face of the end portion of the barthat is adapted to engage with the hook-shaped end portion of the otherbar.

All of the figures are considerably enlarged in order to more clearlyshow the novel structural features. 5

My improved device is formed from a. narrow strip of thin resilientsheet metal bent upon itself, as at 9, at a point adjacent to the middleof the length of the strip whereby there are produced two bar memso bersindicated, respectively, by 10 and'll, the free end portion of themember 11 being bent "in a manner to correspond to the bend 9, therebyproviding a hook 12. The two bends thus given to the strip are of suchcharacter that, as shown, the adjacent portions ofthe barsFlO and 11that are connected by the bend 9 are comparatively widely separated andthe same degree of separation of the parts at the other end of thedevice .will be present when the device is in operative position due tothe curvature of the hook portion being the same as that of the bend 9.As shown, the two bars are directly opposite each other and each is sobowed or curved longitudinally that at approximately their mid lengththey are in contact with each other, or nearly so, when the two bars areheld. together as hereinafter described.

The bar 10 is of pressed toward the such length that when other bar itsfree end will come in contact with the end portion of the hook 12. andas it is intended that such end of the bar 10 shall be forced past andlie. under the end of the hook the outer surface of the hook is beveled,as shown at- 13, to facilitate the forcing of the bar 10 past it. Ateachside of its longitudinal center the extreme end portion of the bar 10 isnotched or cut away on its upper surface so as to leave between thosenotches a slight rib or projection 14, and in the under surface of thehook is a centrally-located notch 15 that is adapted to receive such ribor projection. The inherent resiliency and shape of the bar 10 tend toforce such bar away from the other bar and into close engagement withthe hook 12 of such other bar, and the interlocking engagement of thebar 10 ith the hook member by means of the rib 1% and notch 15 holdssuch bars from becoming accidentally disconnected by relative lateralmovement. li'hen a strand or lock of hair is held between the two barsin the usual manner the pressure of the bar 10 against the hook will,naturally, be increased, with the result of more securely effecting theinterlocking engagement referred to. In addition to the beveling of theouter surface of the hook facilitating the movement of the arm 10 pastthat hook such beveling has the additional advantage of bringing theouter surfaces of the hook and the arm 10 substantially flush and thusobviating almost wholly any liability of any hair being caught andpulled upon as the device is being adjusted into position.

By my improved construct-ion I provide a device that can be very readilyclamped or clasped upon a lock or strand of hair, and by reason of itnot being necessary to spring either bar laterally after the hair hasbeen placed in position between the bars the user is assured that suchhair cannot be massed or disturbed by the act of fastening the barstogether. Furthermore, pressing the bar 10 toward the bar 11 so as tosnap it into place by forcing it past the end of the hook is not only amore easy and natural operation than forcing it toward such bar 11 andat the same time swinging it laterally to get it under the hook but itis less of a strain on the device itself. The only occasion when the bar10 needs to be moved laterally is when it is being removed fromoperative position. that being done after the bars have been forcedtoward each other Sutiiciently to draw the rib or projection M out ofthe notch 15.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hair-retaining device formed of a strip of resilient material bentupon itself to form two bars arranged one above the other,

the free end portion of one bar terminating in a hook-shaped member andthe other bar being of a length to cause its free cud por tion to comein contzr... with such member when said bars are .isscd toward eachother, and means on he under surface of the hook-shaped member and theouter sur face of the second-nuniml bar for removably interlocking thetwo bars together when said second-named bar has been forced past theend of said hook-shaped member, the inner and outer surfaces of saidsecond-named bar being approximately in alignment with the correspondingsurfaces of the free end portion of the hook-shaped member when the)arts are in said interlocked relation.

2. A hair-retaining devi e formed of "r strip resilient material bentupon itself to form two bars arranged one above the other, said barsbeing curved from end to end to bring their longitudinal centralportions in proximity to each other when the device is in operativeposition. the free end portion of one bar terminating in a hookshapedmember and the other bar being of a length tocanse its free end portionto come in contact with such member when said bars are pressed towardeach other, and means on the under surface of the hook-shaped member andthe outer srrface of the second named bar for reniovably intcrlocl-zingthe two bars together when said second-named bar has been forced pastthe end of said hook-shaped member, the inner and outer surfaces of saidsecond-named bar being approximately in alignment with the correspondingsurfaces of the free end portion of the hook-shaped member when theparts are in said interlocked relation.

3. A hair-retaining devi e formed of a strip of re-W ient material bentupon itself to form two bars arranged one above the other, the free endportion of one bar terminating in a l1ookshapcd member provided with anotch in its under surface and the other bar being of a length to causeits free end portion to come in contact with such member when said barsare pressed toward each other, said second-nanuwl bar having the outersurface of its free end portion notched .t eacn side of the longitudinalccnter of the bar to form a rib or projection that will fit in the saidnotch in the hook-shaped member for rcmovabl interlocking the two barstogether when said second-named bar has been forced past the end of saidhookshaped member.

4:. A hair-retaining device formed of a strip of resilient n'mterialbent upon itself to form two bars arranged one above the other, the freeend portion of one of said bars terminating in a hook-shaped member theouter surface of the end portion of which is beveled and the undersurface of which is provided with a part of the means for reluovablyinterlocking the two bars together, the other bar being of a length tocause its free end portion to come in contact With the said beveledsurface of the hook-shaped member, and said free end portion of saidlast-named bar being provided on its outer surface with meansco-operating with the said means on the under surface of the hook-shapedmember for interlocking the two bars together when said last-named bar10 has been forced past the end of said hookshaped member.

KENNETH L. HEATH.

